Dieing machine



' P 1944- c. F. SHERMAN ETAL 2,357,557

DIEING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 3, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a I w Patented Sept. 5, 1944 DIE'ING MACHINE Cortis F. Sherman, West Hartford, and Alfred E. Caserta, Hartford, Conn., assignors to The Henry & Wright Manufacturin Company, Hartford, 'Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Original application August 3, 1940, Serial No. 350,210. Divided and this application February 17, 1941, SeriaLNo. 379,244

1 Claim.

they may be operated, this being accomplished in the machine as shown herein by counterbalancing the reciprocating members of the machine in opposition to the forces applied by an actuating crank shaft thereby reducing and substantially eliminating forces due to inertia.

One form of a machine embodying the invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, a well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a sectional view in elevation on a plane denoted by the broken line II of Fig. 2.

Figure 2 is a similar view on a plane denoted by the broken line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a view in horizontal section on a plane denoted by the broken line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is an isometric view illustrating the actuating shaft and the counterbalancing mechanism carried thereby.

Figure 5 is a side view of the machine showing a modified form of the invention.

Figure 6 is a similar view of a portion of the machine illustrating another modification of the invention. 1

Figure '7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the features of the device as shown in Fig. 5.

Figure 8 is a similar view illustrating the apparatus as shown in Fig. 6.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated and described our invention in connection with a dieing machine or punch press of ordinary construction and operation, so far as a general description is concerned such machine comprising a frame including a base 9 with supports l rising therefrom at the lower end of the frame, and a table II at its upper end for the support of dieing mechanism, A crank shaft I2 is mounted in the frame between the base 9 and table II, this shaft being driven in any ordinary manner by power applied thereto in any suitable way and not specifically shown herein, as such driving means will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and is not necessary for a clear understanding of the invention. The crank shaft is operatively connected in a manner now to be described with a punch I3 and its holder I4, said connection including rods I fastened at their lower ends to a cross head I6 mounted for Vertical reciprocating movement below the crank I2 of the crank shaft I 2, said reciprocating movement being imparted to the cross head by means of a connecting rod I! in a manner common to machines of this type, and as will be readil understood.

In this, our improved machine, the weight of the punching mechanism, comprising the punch I3, punch holder l4, rods I5, cross head l6 and connecting rod I1 is counterbalanced and neutralized by a counterbalancing member or weight I8, hereinafter referred to as a counterbalance. This counterbalance is formed to fit within the frame between the supports l0 and is guided for vertical reciprocating movement within said frame. It is suspended at opposite sides thereof from counterbalancing offsets I9 formed prefererably integral with the crank shaft I2, and preferably on opposite sides of the crank l2 and outside of the bearings for said shaft. These offsets are located directly opposite each other on the crank shaft and in positions from the crank I2 so that when the cross head I6 and the members of th punch mechanism carried thereby and hereinbefore mentioned are moved in one direction the counterbalance is moved in a directly opposite direction.

Straps 20 are mounted on the offsets l9 and have ears 2| to receive the outer ends of suspension pins 22, said pins being secured to and projecting outwardly from suspension blocks 23 secured as by means of screws to the counterbalance on opposite sides of guide slots 24 extending through opposite walls of the counterbalance, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Guides 25 secured as by means of pins or screws 26 to the supports II] project through the guide slots 24 as a means for guiding the counterbalance in its vertical reciprocating movements. The guides 25 are grooved on opposite sides to receive guide ribs 21 extending along opposite sides of each of the guide slots 24. These guides 25 not only extend through the guide slots 24 but they project into guide grooves 28 formed on opposite sides of the cross head I6 as a means for guiding said cross head in its vertical reciprocatin movements, the guides 25, therefore, serving the double purpose as guides for the counterbalance and the cross head.

It is contemplated that the counterbalance will be substantially of the same weight as the cross head l6 and the punch mechanism supported thereby and thereon so that at no time will there exist the force of inertia for any of the moving parts, the same amount of power being required at all times to effect the operation of the mechanism.

In the operation of our improved dieing machine illustrated and described herein it has heretofore been common practice to employ an automatic feed for the strip of stock 29 to the punches, this mechanism comprising a set of supporting rolls 30 mounted above a set of feed rolls 3|, the latter rolls being positioned at opposite ends of a feed bar 32 mounted for reciprocating movement relative to the table II of the machine. These feed rolls are mounted in a well known manner to intermittently effect feed and no-feed of the strip 29 by the action of the two sets of rolls 3U3I, that is to move it along by a step-by-step movement, and to impart no movement to the strip during the backward movement of said bar for the next succeeding feeding grip, as is particularly shown in United States Patent to Bowers et al., No. 1,480,044, dated January 8,

In the structure herein shown a clutch actuator 60 is pivotally attached to each end of the bar 32, these actuators being connected with the rolls 3| by a ball clutch structure 62 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. I

In the operation to position the strip of stock between the dies a row of pilot holes is made in the strip by a pilot punch 33, these holes being spaced all the same distances apart along the edge of the strip. In order to keep the strip positioned properly at all times a pilot 33' shown carried by the punch l3 enters each of the pilot holes when the strip is released from the grip of thefeed rolls, and the strip being loose at this' time is readily positioned by the action of the pilot. This action of the pilot is to ensure that no slight disarrangement of the strip of stock will take place and that said strip will always be in proper position. However, should the strip be excessively disarranged when the pilot enters a pilot hole to such extent that a burr is formed on the edge of the hole then the pilot becomes an indicator to denote the successive displacement. In order to avoid such a contingency we have provided means for adjusting the position of the feed rolls while the machine is in operation so that the pilot may be caused to clearly enter the holes at each downward movement of the punch, thereby indicating the fact that correct feed of the strip is taking place.

This mechanism comprises a particular arrangement or construction of the feed lever 35 of the machine. The upper end of the lever 35, as heretofore, is connected by a link 36 with the feed bar 32 as shown in Fig. 5. This lever, as heretofore, is pivotally mounted at its lower end and is connected intermediate its ends with the crank shaft l2.

In effecting our purpose we provide an eccentric bearing 31 which is rotatably supported in the frame at its lower end adjacent the base 9. This bearing has a worm wheel 38 rigid therewith and which meshes with a worm 39 secured to and rotatable with a worm shaft 40 mounted in a frame 4| within which the eccentric hearing 31 is also mounted. A pivot pin 42 is eccentrically positioned on the eccentric bearing 31, and the feed lever 35 is pivotally mounted at its lower end on said pivot pin. The end of the shaft 40 may be squared, as shown in Fig. 5, to receive a wrench or other tool as a means for turning the shaft for adjusting purposes.

Th lever 35 has a slot 43 within which a slide 44 is located, the latter receiving a crank pin 45 projecting from the end of the crank shaft and serving in its operation to impart reciprocating movement to the lever 35 on its fulcrum or pivot 42.

From this construction it will be seen that by the application of a wrench to the end of the shaft 40, the eccentric bearing 31 and the pivot pin 42 eccentrically mounted thereon may be rotated so that the pivot point of the lever 35 will be changed, thereby varying the throw of the upper end of the lever and consequently varying the degree of movement of the feed bar 32 and the feed rolls thereon, and with the machine in operation this adjustment may be made until the pilot is found to accurately enter the pilot holes.

In the structure shown in Fig. 6 the feed bar 32 and mechanism supported thereon and operated thereby are the same as in the device of Fig. 5. The feed lever 35 is mounted on the machine frame as heretofore and is connected with the feed bar 32 intermediate the ends of the latter, as shown in Fig. 6.

A link 46 is connected at one end with the slide 44 of the lever, as heretofore. The opposite end of the link 46 is adjustably secured in a slot 41 in a rocker 48 pivotally mounted at its upper end in a bracket 49 secured to the frame of the machine. Oscillating movement is imparted to the rocker by means of a crank pin 50 projecting from the side of a gear 5| rotatably mounted on the bracket 40 and meshing with an intermediate gear 52 also rotatably mounted on the machine frame and in mesh with a driving gear 53 operatively connected with and driven by the crank shaft I2 of the machine.

The gears 5| and 53 are timed to rotate at substantially the same speedsand the gear 53 being driven by the crank shaft imparts movement to the gear 5| at the same speed, and the pin 50 on the gear 5| engaging the rocker 48 imparts reciprocating movement thereto which is transmitted through the link 46 to the feed lever 35 and thence to the feed bar 32 and feed rolls 3|. As hereinbefore explained the construction is such that the feeding action is intermittent and it takes place during substantially of each rotating movement of the crank shaft.

It is generally understood that one revolution (360) of the crank shaft constitutes one cycle of operation of the punch press and during a cycl a certain percentage of the time is used in the feeding of the stock. By referring to Fig. '7 which diagrammatically shows the feeding lever 35, as shown in Fig. 5, it will be seen that the proportion of feed to the full cycle of th press is about 6 of a cycle, whereas the diagram of Fig. 8 shows the feeding lever rocker 48 as seen in Fig. 6 and illustrates the proportion of feed to the full cycle of the punch press as being of the cycle.

The feeding arrangement shown in Figs. 5 and '7 is found satisfactory in certain types of work, as for instance, plain blanking, shearing, etc., whereas the feeding arrangement as shown in Figs. 6 and 8 is of advantage in certain types of Work, such as forming and drawing or where a large proportion of the cycle is required for such work.

This application is a division from our copending application for patent on Dieing machines, filed August 3, 1940, of S. No. 350,210..

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes we have described the principles of operation of our invention, together with the device which we now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but we desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set out.

We claim:

In'combination in a dieing machine including an actuating shaft, a pilot punch and a die with means for operating them, feed means comprising feed rolls, means for intermittently imparting feeding movement to said rolls, said means including a lever mounted for oscillatory movement, an operative connection between said lever and machine actuating shaft for actuating said lever, a pivot for supporting said lever, means incorporated in said feeding means for varying the distance between said actuating shaft and the axis of said pivot to vary the length of feed pitch for a strip of material passing between said feed rolls and during movement of said strip to thereby determine by the pilot punch engageable with pilot holes in said strip the correct position of said strip relatively to said punch for free entry of said pilot into said holes without contact of said pilot with the edges of said pilot holes and consequent formation of burrs on said edges of said holes, the means for varying the distance between the actuating shaft and the axis of said lever pivo-t comprising an eccentric portion fast with a worm gear on said lever pivot, a worm engaging said worm gear for rotation of the latter by the former, a fulcrum pin pivotally mounted on said eccentric to pivotally mount the lower end of said lever, and locking means to lock said worm against rotation.

CORTIS F. SHERMAN. ALFRED E. CASERTA. 

